My ezee torq 2 battery is dying,it just about makes a 4 mile round trip,that is if i only gently use the power to help out on the hills, and keep it in restricted to 15mph mode, anyway i can't justify the £400 pounds for a new lithium battery with the amount of use it gets at the moment ,but i dont want to lose use of the bike completely, so i was thinking of maybe buying three lead acid 12v 12 ah batteries and a charger,just to keep the bike going at a total cost of around £100(affordable)i also thought about a 48v lead acid conversion would this give any extra power or range,my usuall commute is just a 4 mile round trip, i like to pedal on the flat without assistance,but need help with the steep hills on the way home,i only use the bike two or three times a week at the most,i know it would add around 8 kilos to the weight of the bike, but would the lead acids be up to the job,and would i need to change the controller or anything else.
Keeping my torq going temporarilly.
- Thread starter fishingpaul
- Start date
Hi Paul,
The Torq controller has an upper voltage limit of 44 V, so 36 V of lead acid will work, but with 48 V it will shut down.
Instead of lead acid, it might be worth looking at NiMH or other types.
Here's some sites that sometime have deals
NewTecs: Superhelle LED's etc.
Race Pack Batteries
(I've not tried any of these myself)
You could use the cells as a separate pack or you could build them into an old eZee battery case.
Nick
The Torq controller has an upper voltage limit of 44 V, so 36 V of lead acid will work, but with 48 V it will shut down.
Instead of lead acid, it might be worth looking at NiMH or other types.
Here's some sites that sometime have deals
NewTecs: Superhelle LED's etc.
Race Pack Batteries
(I've not tried any of these myself)
You could use the cells as a separate pack or you could build them into an old eZee battery case.
Nick
I've discovered that it's possible translate the newtecs site into English by going to it via Google and opting for a machine translation. I wonder if this might be a source of a lower capacity/lower weight battery. Will look into it.
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I think three 12V SLAs would be a good way to keep things going with minimal cost, especially if your commute is only a four mile round trip. There would be no need to spend more. As long as you can mount them in a satisfactory way, that is, bearing in mind the weight, which will be around 15 kilos which is probably about 8 to 10 kg MORE than the present weight.
SLAs benefit from being recharged as soon as possible after use. I don't think you need to take your charger with you if you're only doing two miles each way especially as your main 'use' will be on the way back, but don't fail to recharge as soon as you get home.
If range is what you're after, SLAs may not be an ideal choice, as their capacity is much reduced by the sort of discharge rates an e-bike requires. Also the less of the available capacity you use before recharging the better - it's not a linear relationship - it makes a HUGE difference to the life of a set of SLAs if you can avoid discharging, say, more than half way before a recharge.
I wouldn't go for a 48V conversion - as you say, it's a matter of keeping things going at minimal cost. A conversion will end up costing almost as much as replacing the lithium battery would have done, even assuming that proves to be trouble free. SLAs are good at maintaining their voltage during peak demand and well into the discharge cycle. They also have a very good shelf life - if you don't go anywhere at all but just give them a top up charge every couple of months they would be good for five to ten years.
Rog.
On the face of it, the newtecs.de website suggested by tiberius seems to offer 24v and 36v batteries, with 5ah capacity and weighing less than 2kg for 120 euros. Even at the present puny exchange rate this is only just over £100. Shipping to the UK is 15 euros.
There seemed to be detail about the power output of the batteries and suitability for hills vs flat riding, though the machine translation did not make this easy to understand. (Of course, I might not have understood it anyway...)
It seemed to be saying that these batteries are highly suitable for short range commuting.
There seemed to be detail about the power output of the batteries and suitability for hills vs flat riding, though the machine translation did not make this easy to understand. (Of course, I might not have understood it anyway...)
It seemed to be saying that these batteries are highly suitable for short range commuting.
I have seen a possible lead acid 48v 4x14ah batteries +48v controller +48v charger for a total of £150,or 36v 12ah +charger for £97. would it be best to keep it simple at 36v,or could i have some exra fast fun at 48v, or is this tempting unreliable performance,both options are far cheaper than replacement lion.
What type of wiring would you reccomend,for connecting the terminals and connection to the charger.
Paul,
Have you got a Torq 1 (Bafang Motor and rigid forks) or Torq 2 (eZee motor and suspension forks)?
You can burn out the Bafang motor at 48 V unless you have some form of current limiting. The later motor should take it, but that's not a guarantee. What are the specs on the controller - it may have a current limit?
That first deal you quote seems very good, but it begs the question: why not add a motor and throttle for a few quid more and build a whole new bike?
Nick
That is going to be seriously heavy! Probably around 20kg. I suspect it's really intended for something other than an e-bike - perhaps a trike or one of those el-cheapo electric scooters.
Rog.
Im going for 3x12v 14ah lead acids with a claimed weight of 12 kilos,what type of wire would you reccommend to connect the batteries,also any recommended chargers.
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